Natural colors floating signal



Nov. 14, 1944. R. c. HITT NATURAL COLORS FLOATING SIGNAL Filed March 17,1943 INVENT OR.

Raymond 61 Hitt l ATTORIVY covered by searching planes.

Patented Nov. 14, 1944 2,362,553 NATURAL GOLOESJLOATING SIGNAL RaymondC: Hitt, SeattlaWash. ApplicationMarch 17, 19 13, Serial-No. 4?9,5 29

1 Claim.

'This invention relates to smoke andvaporsignals, andparticularly tosuch signals to be'operated in daylight hours on the high seas, as in-cases of ship wrecked survivors. During war times, and other occasionswhen ships are wrecked, the survivors sometimes float for many days-orweeks in small boats, without being dis- Blacksmoke signals are oftenoverlooked by observers flying over them at high elevations, or atdistances, be-

cause such colored signals are not readilydiscov- 'ered' against thesurface of the water whichappears darkfrom above.

It is therefore importantthatsuch signals may be provided.0f yellow .orlight colors which may be readily discovered.

against a dark background or sea,,particularly ifrom elevations .abovethesea. In some instances chlorate of potash has been used farsignalslbyproduction of dark or black; smoke, or

other colors, but chlorate of potash has been: -found dangerous in use,particularlywhen carried in quantities together sufficient for a signaldevice as the same may explode or becomeignited spontaneously or by heatin the tropics, and

cause injuries to ships .and boats and persons-,1

thereon. It is also important that receptacles be provided fortransporting such materials or chemicalsv for such signal purposes,which shall be of relatively light material and yet strong to withtsandhard usage and to require little space for storing in small boats, andbe sufficiently buoyant when loaded to readily float on the surface ofthe ocean while giving out the desired signals.

Some chemicals suitable for producing desirable colors in smoke andgases generally leave or form a body of hot ashes or pumice throughwhich the smoke when rising, becomes faded and loses its natural anddesirable colors for observing at a distance.

It is therefore among the objects of this invention to provide areceptacle for retaining suitable smoke producing chemicals, for packingand transportation on small life boats and ships, with means forutilizing suitable chemicals for producing desirable light colors insmoke and vapors when burned, and to provide meari's for prevention ofthe fading of suitable colors before they are discharged from thereceptacles'for observation.

With these and other objects to be hereinafter stated, I haveillustratively exemplified my invention by the accompanying drawing, ofwhich: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device complete and wrappedin a Waterproof sheath for ;,transportation and ,use. Figure 2- isa-,-.verti cal cross section of the device: and interionparts.

,Figure 3 is-a crosssection view looking-down from lines 3?-3 on Fig. 2.Figure 4 isaperspec- .tiverview of a non combustibletube withperforations for discharging colored smokeandjya- 1 sentlike parts.

casing formed from fabric pors to prevent the same from being faded bypassing through burned material.

Like characters onthe difierent figures repre- The letter, A -representstube or or other suitable na- ,terial with sufficient strength for. thepurpose and yet lighterin weight thanheavy metals, for buoyancy-whencast overboard into the sea. Que end .15

of, the tube,,which for convenience and descripative-purposes isdesignated the bottom, is partially filledqwith clay 2, or other,suitable material to support a chargeof smoke material pr powder 3, andto protect the same from water, andalso to provide weight to cause suchlower end to sink and sustain .the device in perpendic- ,ular positionwhen used for a signal on the wa- .ter,-;such weight however beinginsufiicient to cause-the upper ,portionof the;dey ice toremainimmersed. Theupper end of the tube is closed bya suitable plug fi whichmay be of wood or other suitable material, and provided with relatiyelysmall hole 1 through the center thereof,

for escape of smoke and vapors, but insufficient to provide a largesupply of air to cause blazing of the smoke producing material. A pairof fuses 4 and 5 are trained through the hole I, and the lower ends 5"and 4" are rested against the charge of powder 3 for readily ignitingthe charge when desired. The upper ends of the fuses shown as 5' arepressed down upon the top surface of the plug 6 and thereto amxed by apatch 9 of material for being ignited by friction and thereby ignitingthe fuses, such as the usual material used for match heads. The upperends of the fuses and patch are protected from undesired friction orinjury during transportation or storage by a cap "(which may be of anysuitable material, and is provided on its upper surface with a patch I3of friction material for causing the patch 9 to ignite, and may be soused by the operator manually by removing the cap and inverting the sameand rubbing the patches together. A depression 8 on the underside of thecap provides further protection for the patch 9. A ribbon or tape H1 ispreferably attached at one end to the cap, and carried thence over thecap and down one side of the tube, and terminates in an outturned tip IDto be readily grasped by the operator, when necessary to remove the cap.Normally the entire device is sheathed with a water proof covering H toprevent moisture or water injuring the powder dur dizing agents such asinorganic nitrates asbarium nitrates with organic ammonium and zincpicrates together with oxidizable substances such as amino-azo-benzinewith beta-naphthol and wood flour. As such material when burningv formsconsiderable heavy ashes or pumice which to meet emergencies of a lifeboat crew or cast-v destroy and fade out the natural colors of the smokeor vapors if passed therethrough, it is necessary to provide means for.the escape of such smoke and vapors laterally into and up through a"central flue l4 projected centrally and perpendicularly through thematerial, such smoke and vapors to pass from beneath such pumicelaterally as the combustion progresses downward. In order to prevent anyof the material or powder from falling into the flue, a noncombustible'o tube I5 is provided, preferably from asbestos composition, forslidable adjustment into the flue,

and holes'or large perforations I6 through the walls of the tube permitthe smoke and vapors from the burning powder to pass into the tube andout from the top thereof, into a central chamber B, above the powder andbeneath the plug, and thence out through the hole 7. A thin paperwrapper I! is first placed over the tube, to prevent any of the powderfrom prematurely or" otherwise entering the same from top or bottom andthrough the perforations. This paper .burns away as the combustion ofthe powder progresses, to permit free :passagewaysfor the smoke andvapors. The portion over the top of the tube is also burned anddestroyed by the combustion.

The chamber or space B is of suitable size to first contain suflicientair to provide buoyancy for the device, and cause the same to rise tothe surface when cast overboard and sustain the top above the water, andas so positioned and formed centrally and over the powder the chamberdimensions of the device may be retained relatively small, for easytransportation; As the original air is first consumed by the firstburning powder, the chamber is filled withheated vapor and smoke, whichrapidly flows out through the hole 1 and prevents any entrance of waterinto the chamber even in case of immersion of the device beneath waves.

The relative small sizes required for the devices permit the storage ofa sufficient number thereof for opening and igniting the device, 'abright smoke or signal may b produced under all circumstances, and eachdevice may be sufficient to provide such signals for relatively longperiods.

Having described my invention I claim as new:

A floatable device for providing a smoke signal for daylight use at sea,comprising a tube, a relatively heavy base therein for ,maintaining thetube in perpendicular position while floating, a charge of smokeproducing chemicals packed above thebase, and provided with aperpendicular flue through the charge for .flow of smoke therefrom asthe charge is burned'to prevent loss of the natural colors provided bythe charge,'a

fuse for igniting the charge, the tube provided with an open spacecentrally located above the charge for buoyancy and for formation ofsmoke and gases therein above the charge, a cover for the upper endofthe tube provided with a relatively small'hole therein for passagewayfor said ignition fuse and for escape of smoke and vavice to prevent theentrance of moisture.

RAYMOND C. 'HITT.

